Green is Her Color
by Izumi's Apprentice
Summary: Green looks the best on her and she knew it so she flaunted it with all she had. Blue was her best color. And red was his favorite color in all ways possible. Current Gibbs/Hollis. Former Jen/Gibbs.


Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS the TV show, or "He's Mine/It's Never Easy" from "The Great American Trailer Park Musical", nor "El Tango de Roxanne" from "Moulin Rouge". I merely borrow the concepts, people, and beautiful lyrics that inspire me so much nowadays.

Green is Her Color

Green was her color. It had always been her color. Not the weird green shades and especially not the lime green, but the emerald and jade shades of green. It always looks flattering on her body and she learned that at a very young age so she endeavored to obtain nice clothing that held those more lovely shades of green she had grown to love. Green made her eyes stand out. They were a light green and almost always glowing. She was serious most days, but because she enjoyed what she did day to day, her eyes glinted in the right light. Green clothing showed off her eyes, but more importantly, it showed off her fiery red tresses; tresses that were slowly and surely growing back out. She had begun to miss her long locks recently and was glad to watch them grow in length once again. It would be lovely to have long hair again; she knew it would make her look more feminine and more beautiful. Shorter hair had been more of a public image move and gave her more of an edge. She needed that when she chopped it off; or, at least, she believed she needed it.

The red haired woman stood in her living room, pacing only occasionally in front of the unlit fireplace. She had a date tonight and was dressed up. It had been awhile since she dressed up for a man; long time since she had a date, to be honest. She glanced down at the green flowing dress she wore, hands moving to unsuccessfully smooth the rumples out of it. Unsuccessful because it was the style; she was merely impatient and nervous. She was attracted to him, but wondered if her choice in the restaurant was the wrong one. She knew one of her ex's had a date there that night and her mind instantly chose it when asked by her courter. She plopped down on a nearby stool, burying her head in her hands. What was she doing? She dressed up nicely and was going to try and make him jealous. But he was going to be with another woman, so he shouldn't notice, right? She sighed, shaking her head lightly to avoid makeup smudge.

_now that he's gone. this trailer sure is quiet. no more nighttime snores, or stupid football scores. the silly things he does […]. but he was mine. he was mine and mine alone. the only one i dream about, couldn't be without. what we had was special. he was mine, he was mine for all those years._

The doorbell rang. Her green orbs landed on the oak. Well there was no changing their plans now. She stood up, brushed her dress out one last time before she moved to grab her clutch on the table and then answer the door.

"Jennifer," she was greeted by a man with black hair smoothed by hair gel.

"Peter," she responded, smiling widely before leaning forward to kiss his cheek tenderly. When she pulled back, she saw the grin on his face and she almost faltered, façade nearly breaking. It reminded her of…

"Shall we?" Peter asked, arm outstretched for her to link with.

Shaking her head briefly, she nodded and grasped his arm, allowing him to lead the way to his car. Jen chuckled only slightly at him opening the door for her before waiting for her to get situated and then return to the driver's side. Very chivalrous of him, she thought, eyes drawn to his profile again. He certainly was a handsome man, with fine contours, a well-kept body, and looks that just screamed "mysterious"; all in all, a man who was "tall, dark and mysterious" by stereotype.

Blue was her color. Well…she had the good fortune of looks that went well with any color of the 164 pack of Crayola crayons, but blue made her look amazing. Not only look, but it made her feel good about herself too. Damn work orders, forcing her to wear dull colors like browns and greys while on duty. Blue had always been her favorite color. She always colored in little kitty cats and penguins with the "sky blue" crayon in grade school. As she grew older, she experimented with blue eye shadow and then blue clothing, both pants and shirts. More importantly, she soon started wearing dresses to figure out which blues looked best in dress styles on her. She had always been complimented on how pretty her eyes were. A greyish-blue, if you asked her. Wearing blue clothes brought out the blue in them and only made her blonde hair stand out more. She had always worn it long, it curling naturally with only a little help from her in certain special situations.

She had come off duty late due to a last minute signing of pertinent papers, so she had called him to say that she would arrive at the restaurant later than expected and that he should just meet her there. She was grateful he had agreed and knew full well that he would be there awaiting her arrival, so she wouldn't be the one left bored. It was very noble of him to be looking out for a woman's mood the way he was. She glanced at herself in the mirror of her bathroom one last time, making sure her hair was flowing the way she intended it to. It was pulled into a loose bun with some curled strands hanging down by her fair face. The woman was glad it was nearing spring and the weather was getting better each and every day. It allowed her to wear a dress that stopped a little below her knees and open heels where tights were likely to snag. Nope, she was showing off her handiwork tonight, not that he cared much about her personal hygiene, but she did.

_you might say he's dull or better yet that he's boring. all right he's not perfect. but he's mine, he is mine and mine alone. the only one i dream about. can't be without. that's what makes him special. cause he's mine. he's got all that i could need. maybe you don't think he's much so what he's mine._

Smiling at herself, she headed to the door, grabbing the shawl she picked out along the way before making her way to the curb. Glancing around, she felt relieved when the cab she called pulled up. She got in and sat silently during the ride to the restaurant. Before she knew it, they were there and she paid the driver. She walked to the door, asked for her table and made her way to it, instantly catching sight of her boyfriend.

"Jethro," she greeted, smile widening when he stood up as she approached.

"Holli," he responded gruffly, but lighter than the tone he used at work. Once she sat down, he followed suit. "I ordered you a chardonnay," he informed her.

"Thank you," she said, reaching across the table to curl her fingers around his hand, thumb slowly rubbing along the rough and slightly calloused skin. "How was your day? Heard you were dealing with a jumper."

"Mmhm. Got him down though."

"That's good. What did you say to convince him to come back?"

"Reminded him of his sister and what she would remember this year if he did jump. She's 16. It worked," he told her, taking a sip of his drink before returning his gaze to Hollis' eyes.

"I'm glad. For him and you," she said nodding her thanks to the waiter before testing the drink brought to her. "Jethro?" she asked, blonde eyebrows furrowed as she tried catching his gaze. "What do you see…?" she trailed off as she turned in her seat to witness what her boyfriend saw. "Is that-?"

"Uh huh," Jethro admitted looking down at the table, eyes closed in mild frustration.

Jen thanked the host as she and Peter were shown to their table, each sitting shortly thereafter. They opened their menus, the woman already knowing exactly where her ex was sitting in the restaurant. She would not make the first move, if any moves would be taken on either's part. No, let him choose what to do. When their waiter came, the Director smiled sweetly at him, within full view of Jethro, and ordered the wine Peter had just suggested. If there was one thing, she was not going to let a man order for her, even if it was her drink; she was very testy when it came to ingested liquids. Food, she was a little more lenient with, however.

"Wow, she looks beautiful tonight. Must really like him," Hollis commented, easily turning back in her chair to view her company. "Jethro?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, shaking his head slightly. Damn. Well, at least she hadn't come over to them and said they should dine together; that would have been a level of awkward he wouldn't be able to handle. Hollis tilted her head to the side briefly, scrutinizing his expression. This night was going to be difficult for him. That she could deduce already.

As the evening progressed, Jethro's gaze very rarely left Jen's table and he felt guilty about it because he knew he should be paying attention to his own date, but it had been so long since…no, he had never heard of Jennifer Shepard going on a date. It was strange to him and he didn't understand it. Well, obviously she must want a romantic relationship and he knew from their time working on the same team that she wanted a family, but it was odd seeing her here. Seeing her being casual and cutesy with another man caused a…lump to form in his throat, a swelling in his breast.

The couple a few tables away were laughing and as his icy blue eyes took in the sight, they widened as the proximity closed and Jen's lips met Peter's. Jethro looked down at his half-eaten plate. He flexed his fingers before cutting another small piece of steak and popping it into his mouth. He wished he had an alcoholic drink now; felt he needed it. Hollis had been watching her boyfriend for the entire time and knew he was distracted, her own attention drawn to observe them every now and then. She had not missed the brief saliva exchange. She sighed, taking another swig of her drink before something caught itself out of the corner of her eye. She leaned across the table and planted a light kiss on Jethro's cheek.

"I'll be in the lady's room. Won't be long so behave yourself, Jethro," she told him, grabbing her purse and following a woman to the bathroom. Once there she placed her purse on the counter and pulled out her compact, inspecting her face as she waited for the other woman to finish using the facilities.

"Colonel Mann," came the surprised voice of Jen as she exited the stall and came to the basin near the blonde. "I didn't know you were here," she said.

"Director Shepard," she replied amiably, closing the compact causing a snap to resound against the hard surfaces. "Yes, I am here on a date with Gibbs," she said. "And you?"

"A new man I'm seeing. His name is Peter and he's a bank CEO," she said moving to dry her hands on a provided towel before moving to the other side of Hollis and opening her own purse to sift for her makeup in case she required touching up. A hand over the opening of the clutch prevented Jen from pulling the item out. The redhead raised an eyebrow in question.

"Are you here to guilt Jethro?"

"I don't know wha—"

"Cause he's sitting at our table, eyes glued to your every move and flirt with Mister CEO. I believe he's still in love with you and have had a feeling for a while now that you're not entirely over him are you?" Hollis said, removing her hand slowly, resting it on her hip.

Jen's eyes were wide, revealing the perfect roundness of the orbs hidden beneath, her lips parting to attempt to answer the question.

"I don't care either way. He's mine now and from what little I know, you threw him away, so he is free for the taking. Well…he was. And he's mine so I won't let you have him while he's still with me," the colonel informed the slightly older woman before she headed toward the door. "You look beautiful tonight, Director Shepard. That's the only thing Jethro and I agree on tonight," she said over her shoulder, exiting. "And the only thing we've discussed," she added under her breath.

_when did this all get so crazy; i thought i had a simple life, but my heart's been complicated; my home life's evaporated. […] i ain't the first in this position […] but two women broken-hearted over what me and [Holli] started […] nothing's easy, nothing's safe, nothing's not worth the mistakes made when you're caught between a hard place and a rock. […] what's the answer after all? it's never easy_

He didn't have a color. Nope. And he didn't care about colors. It was something for women to deal with. The only time he cared about colors was when it came to women wanting him to wear a certain colored shirt or women wearing certain colors. Actually, there was one color he was particularly fond of. Red. Always an eye catching color, whether it be hair, clothes, shoes, or vehicles. Red and yellow cars are more often pulled over on the road than white, black or even blue cars. Always said to be sports car colors and always driving over the speed limit. Depends on who's driving, was his opinion. He had always married redheads, was always attracted to redheads instinctually and always dated redheads. Until now. He was now dating a blonde and the stereotypes were wrong, but he knew that many years before dating her. She just reminded him how wrong silly assumptions like that were. She was strong, smart, brave and gorgeous. It almost brought a smile to his face thinking of the way their relationship worked.

Never before had he come to such a difficult part in a relationship. She wanted to settle down, start…"something" and wanted to know if that something included him. How could he answer such a thing when his former lover was mere feet away, cozying up with some man she probably didn't even know. It made his blood boil, knowing that she was with him and so comfortable about it too. There was a time when he was that man; back in a small restaurant in Paris. Her was growing out again. She was starting to look like her old self, but wiser.

_his eyes upon your face. his hand upon your hand. his lips caress your skin. It's more than I can stand. feelings i can't fight. you're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me and please believe me when i say, i love you._

"Jethro. You're brooding. Again," Hollis said, clutching his hand and squeezing it to let him know she was there.

"I'm sorry, Holli. I just…"

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving her hand in lieu of her head. "You don't need to say it. I know and forgive you," she added, catching his eyes.

Jethro's eyebrows furrowed in mild confusion, wondering what she saw in him that he didn't. All he knew was that he was distracted by his director schmoozing a dark-haired man.

"You're jealous and it's really quite a cute look on you, but I wish it were because some waiter was checking me out. You're apparently still…attracted, at the very least, to Director Shepard. It's understandable; she's a very beautiful woman and she knows it. Should we leave and sand your boat a little? Or would you rather be left alone?" Hollis asked, voice lowering in tone, compassion entering her words.

"Yeah. You can help for a little while; I think I'll be up all night as usual, so I'll think then," he informed her, not noticing the small look of dismay on her face at his not planning her spending the night. It might change as they work on the boat, but it was unlikely if he was in this mindset. So they finished their meal and drinks before Jethro paid the bill and they exited the restaurant.

Jen watched them go, a smile still left over on her face from a funny story Peter had just told her. She looked down at the table cloth and bit her bottom lip for a few moments. Slowly, she untangled her fingers from the man's larger hand and rested it in her lap along with its companion. "Peter. There's something I need to tell you," she started, eyes raising to meet his steadily.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"I don't think this is going to work out. You're a great guy—funny—but just not the one for me. I've enjoyed this short courtship, but this is our last date. I'm sorry," she stated simply, voice level and controlled. She wasn't emotional about breaking up with him, though she did enjoy his company and regretted the fact she would have to face waiting awhile longer with pent up frustration not easily taken care of, in fact she was a professional when it came to breakups. She was a master, her friend once told her. Jen Shepard knew every way to get out of a relationship, knew the best way to break it off once she got to know the man she was with. With Peter, it was easy because they hadn't been seeing each other long and with Jethro…it had been leaving without notification; no mess, no problems.

"Thank you for dinner," She said, standing up and heading to the door. As she went, she pulled her phone out of her purse and called the protection detail that was loosely following her. Rather they escort her home then a cab or calling her driver this late and having to wait. Jen left the restaurant and headed to the vehicle idling nearby. She situated herself before gazing out the window at the passing lights, mind wandering. She knew after that bathroom conversation that she would rather be single and pining after an already taken Jethro than be with someone and unconsciously paining the man she still loved.

The way Hollis was talking indicated to her that she would wait for Jethro to make a decision rather than give him away. She would do the same. She would wait and see what came of their relationship despite whatever consequences came to her own dreams. If he was happy with Hollis and could learn to love her, there was nothing she would do. She'd rather him happy then upset at her goings-about.

Jen rested her hand on the glass of the window. "Always have, always will. I love you, Jethro."


End file.
